A coalition of San Antonio pro-life organizations are mounting a major battle to oppose the expansion of Planned Parenthood South Texas' abortion enterprise in San Antonio. Local groups include Allied Women's Center, San Antonio Coalition for Life, Texas Leadership Coalition, San Antonio Family Association, St. Joan of Arc Brigade, A Woman's Haven, other crisis pregnancy centers, as well as members of the Dreamhill Estates neighborhood association who are up in arms about the new abortion facility stealthily being constructed in their backyard.

We oppose Planned Parenthood South Texas' deceptive effort to fast-track the opening of a 22,000 sq. ft. ambulatory surgical center in the heart of San Antonio without the proper zoning, building safety standards, traffic safety and neighborhood buffering issues are resolved. City of San Antonio officials have been complicit in supporting the business expansion without proper oversight and failing to meet their own municipal compliance standards.

Planned Parenthood South Texas CEO Jeffrey Hons announced to the local press last October that the $6.5 million project at 2140 Babcock, San Antonio will allow the expanded abortion center to perform 2,800 abortions a year. He said his operation was “ready to grow”, banking on the new facility opening in January 2015.

The coalition of pro-life organizations under the umbrella of the Stop Planned Parenthood SA coalition (SPPSA) have organized and held regular planning meetings since October to counter the Planned Parenthood construction.

A legal challenge has been underway demanding that the City of San Antonio comply with its own commercial development code regulations and stop the construction immediately so that zoning and other building code requirements can be addressed before a permit can be issued. The legal team supporting the Stop Planned Parenthood effort has successfully secured a court order preventing the city from issuing a certificate of occupancy and from approving a special use permit for now. The city department in charge of issuing permits for building constructions has issued conflicting opinions on whether a major ambulatory surgical center can be provided a zoning permit as a C1 business, usually issued to mom and pop businesses. The new Planned Parenthood site is zoned C1, while similar medical centers in San Antonio are zoned C3.

Other pro-life coalition initiatives are slowing down the Planned Parenthood construction project. One of the seasoned pro-life activists in the coalition, Eli Danze, whose family waged a similar anti-Planned Parenthood expansion campaign in Austin, took the lead in reaching out to construction building contractors after the discovery of the construction site and was successful in influencing a major contractor, Cappadonna Electrical, to walk off the job. A cement supplier contractor also canceled their contract.

Other major initiatives associated with obstructing Planned Parenthood's abortion business expansion in San Antonio which will generate “abortion tourism” clients from all over South Texas involve weekly sidewalk press conferences and mini-rallies at the construction site, in front of city hall and other city government offices to raise public and press awareness of the growing opposition to Planned Parenthood's expansion in San Antonio.

Additionally members of the pro-life coalition are attending city council meetings and speaking out before the Mayor and city council members against Planned Parenthood, against the fast tracking of the abortion provider's permit applications and inspections. To date there has been no public disclosure or discussions with the neighborhood association and commercial neighbors surrounding this abortion facility located adjacent to a residential neighborhood.

Other initiatives include raising awareness within the local churches and faith-based organizations to solicit their support and participation in fighting the Planned Parenthood expansion in San Antonio. A number of prayer vigils and rallies were held before Christmas and will continue regularly. Rallies and sidewalk activities are also being planned to continue to unite community opposition to the expansion of Planned Parenthood's abortion business in San Antonio. The organization's mission is to make San Antonio the abortion capital of south Texas. We, the pro-life community and active members of the Stop Planned Parenthood coalition in San Antonio, will do everything we can to stop the expansion of Planned Parenthood's abortion enterprise.

We invite all San Antonio residents who love this city and honor its Christian heritage and the sanctity of unborn life to rise up and oppose the work of Planned Parenthood South Texas in destroying thousands of lives every year for profit. We do not want this million dollar enterprise in this city which will make San Antonio the abortion capital of south Texas. Killing your future generations does not promote the common good.

Reprinted with the permission of Phil Sevilla, Stop Planned Parenthood San Antonio.